Port Perry MoJacks get latest nod in battle with Uxbridge Bruins

Jr. C season winding down

Oshawa This Week

NORTH DURHAM --- Give the nod to the Port Perry MoJacks over the Uxbridge Bruins in the latest battle of Central Jr. C League hockey clubs.

Goals by Ryan Nichols and Matt Paul were enough to lift the MoJacks to a 2-1 victory over the Bruins on Friday night in Uxbridge. Nichols scored in the first period, while Paul's winner came early in the second. Mike Ramsey brought the Bruins to within one with a power-play goal midway through the third, but the Bruins couldn't squeeze another past MoJacks netminder Drew Siydock.

The result ended a couple of streaks for both teams. The MoJacks stopped a three-game losing streak they were on, while the Bruins had a seven-game winning streak snapped.

On home ice Sunday, the MoJacks defence was just as stingy, allowing just one goal, but the offence kicked it into high gear with a 7-1 trouncing of Georgina. The MoJacks scored once in the first and added two more in the second for a 3-1 lead, before blowing it wide open with four in the third.

It was a balanced attack that contributed to the seven goal outburst as Matt Paul scored two, with one each to Ryan Nichols, Kyler Challis, Logan Evans, Matt Murray and Mike Grifoni. Specialty teams played a huge role in the win, as the MoJacks converted on four of five chances on the power play while blanking Georgina on their seven times with the man advantage.

With the lengthy winning streak over, the Bruins started another Saturday night in Little Britain, beating the Merchants 4-1.

After falling behind 1-0 in the second period, the Bruins struck for three before the period was over and added another in the third. Justin Bean, Steve Douitsis, Callum Lynch and Marco Mastrangelo provided the offence with a goal apiece, while Keegan Cairns served as the set-up man, assisting on three of the four goals.

The streak was bumped to two on Tuesday night in Lakefield, but it took some extra work and then some, winning 3-2 over the Chiefs in a shootout.

After falling behind again 1-0, Tim Bierema and Matt Allen scored just over a minute apart to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead through the opening 20 minutes. That lead held to late into the third period, but Lakefield scored with 1:37 remaining in the game to tie it, sending the game to overtime. After a scoreless overtime session, the Bruins needed two goals in the shootout to secure the win, the first from Allen, and the eventual game winner from Dylan Locke in the fifth round of the shootout.

The Bruins, who remain in first place with a record of 26-4-3, six points up on Lakefield with seven games to play, will play a home-and-away set with Clarington this weekend, hosting the Eagles on Friday at 7:45 p.m. while completing the exchange Sunday in Clarington.

The MoJacks, who sit third at 15-14-3 with eight games remaining, one point ahead of fourth place Clarington, head to Georgina on Friday, then host Little Britain on Sunday at 6:35 p.m.